Wire stretcher



H. M. COCHRAN WIRE STRETCHER July 24, 1962 2 SheetsSheet 1 Filed March 25, 1960 INVENTOR.

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United States Patent 3,045,970 WIRE STRETCHER Harvey M. Cochran, Camp Creek, W. Va. Filed Mar. 25, 1960, Ser. No. 17,685 3 Claims. (Cl. 254-73) This invention relates to wire tensioning devices, and more particularly to a wire tensioning device adapted to be employed in stretching a wire prior to the attachment of the wire to a fence post, or the like.

The main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved wire tensioning device which is simple in construction, which is easy to use, and which provides a reliable means of tensioning a wire prior to the attachment of the wire to a fence post and enabling the wire to be stretched and fastened to the post in a secure and fully tensioned condition.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved wire tensioning device especially suitable for stretching a wire prior to the fastening of the wire to a fence post, or the like, the device being relatively inexpensive to fabricate, being sturdy in construct-ion, tensioning and holding the wire without damage thereto, and providing the operator with positive control over the wire while it is being tensioned and prior to the securement of the wire to a fence post, or similar vertical supporting member.

Further objects and advantages of the invention become apparent from the following description and claims,

and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of an improved wire tensioning device constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the wire tensioning device of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 5--5 of FIGURE 3.

Referring to the drawings, the Wire tensioning device is designated generally at 11 and comprises a horizontal plate-like support 12 which is formed with the generally arcuately curved, outwardly concave forward edge 13 defining respective front and rear corner lugs 14 and 15. Midway between the lugs 14 and 15 the forward marginal portion of the support 12 is provided with the opposed, vertical, generally triangular stiffening ribs 16, 16 extending upwardly and downwardly, respectively, and being substantially flush at their front edges with the central portion of the arcuate forward edge 13 of support 12. Thus, when the support 12 is engaged on a fence post 17, shown in dotted view in FIGURE 2, with the support in a horizontal position, the lugs 16, 16 bear against the fence post 17 and act to support the support 12 in a position extending perpendicular to the fence post and preventing rotation of the support 12 around a horizontal transverse axis.

Designated at 18 and 19 are respective clamping arms which are pivoted at 26 and 21 to the respective corner lugs 14 and 15. The clamping arms 18 and 19 are arcuately curved and are provided at their inner edges with the serrations or teeth 22 adapted to penetrate into the surface of a fence post 17 when the clamping arms are The clamping arm 18 is formed at its outer end with the apertured lug 24 through which is slidably engaged the threaded bolt member 25. A tightening nut 26 is provided on the bolt member 25, the nut member 26 being provided with the pivoted operating handle 27, whereby the bolt member may be rotated on the threaded member 25 to exert tension thereon and to pull the bolt member through the lug 24. Connected to the end of the bolt member 25 is a chain 28, a selected link of which is engageable in an open-ended slot 29 formed in the end lug 30 of the opposing clamping arm 19. Thus, the chain 28 may be tightened by rotating the operating handle 27 of nut 26, with a selected link of the chain 23 engaged in the slot 29, whereby the support 12 may be securely clamped against the fence post 17, and whereby said support 12 will be rigidly supported in a desired horizontal position, for example, at the height at which it is desired to fasten a fence wire 31 to the post.

One longitudinal side edge of the support 12 is formed with the arcuate, outwardly convex edge portion 32. Designated at 33 is a lever which is formed with a pair of opposing arms 34 and 35 which receive the intermediate portion of the support 12 adjacent the arcuate edge 32 and which are pivotally connected to the support by a vertical pivot bolt 36 located substantially at the center of the arcuate edge 32.

The lever 33 is formed with the reduced outwardly extending blade member 37 and with the opposing outwardly projecting shoulder portions 38, 38. Designated at 39 is a clamping arm which is pivoted at 40 to the outer end of the blade member 37, the clam-ping arm being provided with the top and bottom horizontal arm segments 42, 42 disposed on opposite sides of the blade member 37 and spaced to receive said blade member therebetween.

The lever 33 is formed with the oppositely projecting vertical abutment shoulders 46, 46 which are formed with the substantially sinuously contoured clamping surfaces 47. The top and bottom. arm segments 42, 42 of the clamping arm 39 are formed with opposing substantially sinuous clamping edges 48 which are shaped to interfit with the sinuous clamping surfaces 47 of the abutment shoulders 46 and to thus lockingly receive a portion of a fence wire 31 therebetween, whereby the wire will be securely locked between an abutment shoulder 46 and the opposing end portion of one of the segments 42 of the clamping arm 39 in the manner illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2. Thus, the wire 31 may be engaged between the upper abutment shoulder 46 and the inner end of the upper arm segment 42, as illustrated, whereby the wire will be locked between said upperv abutment shoulder 46 and the end of upper arm segment 42 when the arm 39 is rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG- URE 1, and whereby tension may be exerted on the wire 31 to pull the wire to the left, as viewed in FIGURE 1. When thus pulled, the wire is held against the surface of the fence post 17 and may be readily fastened thereto by means of staples or other conventional fastening means.

The margin of the support 12 adjacent the arcuate edge portion 32 is formed with a plurality of spaced apert ures 50 which are arranged so that a nail or similar rodlike member may be engaged through a selected aperture 56} behind the lever 33 to limit counterclockwise rotation of the lever, as viewed in FIGURE 1, for example, after the wire 31 has been stretched to a predetermined tension and it is desired to obtain a new hold on the wire without allowing the lever 33 to swing back towards its starting position.

Designated at 51 is an auxiliary clamping arm which is pivotally connected at 52 to the support 12 at the end portion thereof opposite the clamping arms 18 and 19, the clamping arm 51 extending horizontally and being rotatable around a vertical axis, defined by the pivot bolt 52. The clamping arm 51 is formed with top and bottom segments 53, 53 spaced to receive the end portion of the support 12 therebetween, as is clearly shown in FIG- URE 5, the edge portion 54- of the support 12 adjacent the clamping arm 51 being arcuately curved to facilitate the swinging movement of the arm.

The inner ends of the segments 53, 53 are formed with sinuously curved clamping surfaces 55 which are cooperable with opposing sinuously curved clamping surfaces 56 formed on vertical abutment members 57 provided on the support 12, so that a portion of the wire 31 may be received between the opposing, mating sinuously curved clamping surfaces 55, 56 to be clampingly secured therebetween at times, for example, in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 3.

As will be readily apparent from the above description, the device is reversible, being usable either in the position shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, or in a reversed position extending in the opposite direction with respect to the fence post, since the device is provided with wireclamping structure on the bottom surface thereof which is identical with that provided on the top surface thereof.

In using the device, the support 12 is first clamped to the post 17 at the desired height, using the chain 28 and the clamping nut 26 in the manner above described, a selected link of the chain being engaged in the openended slot 29 of lug 30. With the support 12 thus clamped in a horizontal position extending in the direction in which tension is to be applied to the wire, the wire is first engaged between the opposing sinuous clamping surfaces 47 and 4-8 associated with lever 33 and clamping 'arm 39, clamping force being applied by the clock- Wise rotation of the clamping arm 39, as viewed in FIG- URE l, and tensioning force being provided by the clockwise rotation of the lever 33 as the clamping arm 39 is moved in a clockwise direction after the wire has been clamped between the sinuous clamping surfaces 47 and 48. The wire may then be held taut by clamping same between the abutment surface 57 and the inner end portion of the auxiliary clamping arm 51, namely, between the sinuous clamping surfaces 55 and 56, with the auxiliary clamping arm 51 rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 1, while the main clamping arm 39 is returned in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 1, to obtain a new grip on the Wire 31.

The counterclockwise rotation of the lever 33 may be limited by engaging a nail or other rod-like member 69 in an aperture 50 located immediately behind the edge of the lever 33 corresponding to the point at which it is desired to restrict the counterclockwise rotation of lever 33. As above stated, after each pull on the wire, the wire may be held by means of the auxiliary clamping arm 51 so that a new grip may be obtained on the wire by lever 33 and clamping arm 39 for applying further tension thereto.

As will be readily apparent, the device may be operated by a single operator, and enables the operator to obtain the desired tension in the wire prior to fastening same to the fence post 17, since the wire may be positively held in its tensioned position by means of the auxiliary clamping arm 51 while a staple or similar fastening member is employed to secure the wire to the fence post.

While a specific embodiment of an improved wire tensioning device has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A wire tensioning device comprising a support formed with an arcuately curved concave forward edge formed to receive a vertical fence post, means to engage around a fence post and to clamp said support to the fence post with the fence post received in said concave forward edge, a horizontal lever pivoted to said support, a vertical outwardly facing abutment shoulder on' Said lever, a horizontal clamping arm pivoted to said lever at a location spaced outwardly from said abutment shoulder and having an inner end portion clampingly engageable with said abutment shoulder, whereby to clampingly secure a wire between said end portion and said abutment shoulder and having an outer end portion extending outwardly a substantial distance from the outer end of the lever and serving as a handle portion, said abutment shoulder limiting rotation of said clamping arm relative to said lever so that the clamping arm and the lever may be simultaneously rotated to tighten a wire responsive to a force exerted on said handle portion in the same direction as the clamping force exerted on the clamping arm, a second vertical abutment shoulder on said support spaced from said lever, and a second horizontal clamping arm pivoted to said support and having an end portion clampingly engageable with said second abutment shoulder, said lever being located between the firstnamed clamping means and the second clamping arm.

2. A wire tensioning device comprising a support formed with an arcuately curved concave forward edge formed to receive a vertical fence post, means to engage around a fence post and to clamp said support to the fence post with the fence post received in said concave forward edge, a horizontal lever pivoted to said support, a vertical outwardly facing abutment shoulder on said lever, a horizontal clamping arm pivoted to said lever at a location spaced outwardly from said abutment shoulder and having an inner end portion clampingly engageable with said abutment shoulder, whereby to clampingly secure a wire between said end portion and said abutment shoulder and having an outer end portion extending outwardly a substantial distance from the outer end of the lever and serving as a handle, said abutment shoulder limiting rotation of said clamping arm relative to said lever so that the clamping arm and the lever may be simultaneously rotated to tighten a wire responsive to a force exerted on the handle in the same direction as the clamping force exerted on the clamping arm, a second vertical abutment shoulder on said support spaced from said lever, a second horizontal clamping arm pivoted to said support and having an end portion clampingly engageable with said second abutment shoulder, said lever being located between the first-named clamping means and the second clamping arm, and means on the support to limit rotation of the first-named horizontal lever toward said first-named clamping means.

3. A wire tensioning device comprising a horizontal plate-like support formed with an arcuately curved concave forward edge formed to receive a vertical fence post, means at one end of said support to engage around a fence post and to clamp said support to the fence post with the fence post received in said concave forward edge, opposed vertical lugs on said support adjacent said forward edge extending upwardly and downwardly respectively and being substantially flush at their front edges with said forward edge to bear against the fence post and to prevent rotation of the support around a horizontal transverse axis, a horizontal lever pivoted to the intermediate portion of said support, a vertical outwardly facing abutment shoulder on said lever, a horizontal clamping arm pivoted to said lever at a location spaced outwardly from said abutment shoulder and having an end portion clampingly engageable with said abutment shoulder, whereby to clampingly secure a wire between said end portion and said abutment shoulder, a second vertical abutment shoulder on the opposite end of said support, a second horizontal clamping arm pivoted to said support adjacent said second vertical abutment shoulder and having an end portion clampingly engageable with said second abutment shoulder, the intermediate portion of said support being formed with a plurality of longitudinally spaced aperture along the path of movement of said lever, and a pin member engageable in a selected one of said apertures behind the lever to limit rotation of the first-named horizontal lever toward said first-named clamping means.

References Cited in the file of this potent UNITED STATES PATENTS Mason July 19, 1887 

